Systems employing fiber optics, light guides or the like are in use and/or under consideration in a variety of fields. For examples of such systems and methods that may be used to measure or characterize the optical properties of a wide variety of objects and materials, reference is made to the following copending applications and/or patents, all by the inventors hereof, and all of which are hereby incorporated by reference: U.S. application Ser. No. 09/091,208 filed on Jun. 8, 1998, which is based on International Application No. PCT/US97/00126, filed on Jan. 2, 1997, which is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/581,851, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,745,229, issued Apr. 28, 1998, for Apparatus and Method for Measuring Optical Characteristics of an Object; U.S. application Ser. No. 09/091,170 filed on Jun. 8, 1998, which is based on International Application No. PCT/US97/00129, filed on Jan. 2, 1997, which is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/582,054, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,030 issued Jun. 2, 1998, for Apparatus and Method for Measuring Optical Characteristics of Teeth; PCT Application No. PCT/US98/13764 filed on Jun. 30, 1998, which is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/886,223, filed on Jul. 1, 1997, for Apparatus and Method for Measuring Optical Characteristics of an Object; PCT Application No. PCT/US98/13765 filed on Jun. 30, 1998, which is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/886,564, filed on Jun. 30, 1998, for Apparatus and Method for Measuring Optical Characteristics of Teeth; and U.S. application Ser. No. 08/886,566, filed on Jul. 1, 1997, for Method and Apparatus for Detecting and Preventing Counterfeiting. Also incorporated by reference are two applications filed on even date herewith by the inventors hereof for Apparatus and Method for Measuring Optical Characteristics of an Object.
In such systems, it often is desired to obtain precise spectral or other optical characteristics data based on measurements taken by the system. Certain of such systems may employ a flexible fiber optic, light guide or similar cable. Unfortunately, however, flexing or changes in the flex of such a cable can affect the spectral transmission properties of the cable, thereby undesirably altering the spectral data generated by the system.
In such systems and in other applications, there is a need to detect, determine and/or quantify such cable flexing.